Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to a method and apparatus, and, more particularly, to a mask frame assembly and a method of manufacturing an organic light-emitting display apparatus using the same.
Discussion of the Background
Mobile electronic devices, such as mobile phones, notebook computers, personal digital assistants, tablets, etc., are widely used. These devices typically include a display unit to provide users with visual information, such as an image or video information, in order to support various functions. Components for driving display units have become smaller, but the display units themselves have become more important in conventional mobile electronic devices. It is also noted that a structure for bending a display unit from a first (e.g., flat) state to a second (e.g., bended at a certain angle) state has been developed.
A conventional organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display apparatus may be manufactured using a vacuum deposition process performed by depositing an organic material or a metal material that may be used as an organic layer or an electrode on a substrate in a vacuum environment to form a thin film on the substrate. The vacuum deposition process may be performed by locating a substrate upon which an organic thin film is to be formed in a vacuum chamber, adhering a fine metal mask (FMM) to the substrate (or over the substrate), and depositing an organic material on the substrate by evaporating or sublimating the organic material using a deposition source. The FMM typically will have the same (or a similar) pattern as a pattern to be formed as the organic thin film.
Typically, the vacuum deposition processes are repeatedly performed with the same mask, however, the mask will usually also be repeatedly cleaned and/or replaced with a new mask to ensure the mask will not contaminate the layer being formed and will be of sufficient durability to provide an accurate pattern. It is noted, however, that the mask may be deformed in the deposition process or the cleaning process. As such, the durability of the mask may deteriorate and the precision of the deposition process may decrease.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the inventive concept, and, therefore, it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.